Except that they Shoot more accurately and have skills that help to keep them alive while doing their job why are Snipers any different from other Soldiers or Marines?

Unless a Sniper calls in Artillery, Air Support or Drones Snipers generally do not kill the Civilians that Artillery, Air Support or Drones do (collateral damage). How is that something Bad?

If there was no demand for a Sniper Book then no one would Publish it.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

I suppose that depends on your individual circumstance.

When I was stationed in Germany at least 1/2 of the Troops were ones who had been to Vietnam and were sent to Germany for their last 6 months or the remainder of their enlistment before getting out of the Service.

That was 1971-1973.

I don't know if that was common or not. But, that represented a lot of Troops.

Right now I think what is burning the Troops out is Multiple deployments (being sent back) to Combat areas and not enough Troops when they get there.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Well, gee it is not a Sporting contest or a Duel.
Take the Marine Sniper Carlos Hathcock (he called the people He shot Hamburgers); He was either by Himself or with one other Person; His Spotter crawling around out in the Bush in Enemy Territory. I think that takes a lot of courage.

I read a Book it the title was something like "The Last Time I Will Ever Tell the Truth" About a National Guard Soldier in Iraq. He used the same Raghead term.
They way He explained it after He and the other People in His Unit were there long enough they only cared about their own survival and did not care what happened to the Hoggie/Ragheads. He said some People would just get bored and randomly shoot at the Civilians.

I can't remember his name but in the Book Written by the Navy Seal Sniper He and his teammates also did things like weeks of House to House and Room Room clearing. When He did that He was not hiding behind anything and a vulnerable as anyone who was doing the same thing.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

I think what you are really angry at is our Society that would what to buy that type of Book.
It is the same Society that allows Gang Bangers to become Recording Artists and/or Actors who make Millions.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Sorry to hear that.

I wore Military Clothing when I was a Kid and after I was out of the Army and still do now. I have been lucky no one I can recall in Public ever did anything negative to me or made nasty comments.

I did go out with a Women a few times who said She thought I was Brain Washed in the Military; as My views on things are on the conservative side.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Chris Kyle, Carlos Hathcock, all other American service snipers, serving during time of war, are soldiers. Soldiers with a job like many other soldiers: to KILL the enemy. How does it matter how the enemy dies, either by a sniper's bullet, an artillery round, a bomb or a bayonet thrust? All dead, all the same.

Our SPECOP forces are the finest trained soldiers America has. So, Kyle wrote a book; so what? Don't like it, don't read it. He didn't start the war in Iraq, he was ordered to serve there. As a professional soldier, he did his duty. I am sorry if his way of dealing with his job, by dehumanizing the enemy offends you. You have obviously never been near the tip of the spear.

BTW, we had snipers in WWII also: are they criminals too?

As my grandafther used to say "that man is talking out of his ass". That's you

Snipers are a perfectly normal and acceptable part of war, going back to the Green Mountain boys of Vermont back in 1776. Anyone who despises them is a dumbass. Unless of course they are on the opposing side having to contend with them in which case their loathing is understandable, but still hypocritical and misplaced as all sides have snipers and always will.

- Peter.

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2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

In relation to the OP. It is a problem in US society that we want to shield the populace from the reality of war. Easily accomplished now that we have an all volunteer military so that those not involved by choice with it can safely ignore it.

This has the double negative that the US military is far to small for its required tasks and generally ignored by the populace as a whole. Undermanned, overd-eployed and thus generally of questionable effectiveness in the field.

- Peter.

__________________
2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

This book deals with that disconnect. worth reading.

AWOL: The Unexcused Absence of America's Upper Classes from Military Service -- and How It Hurts Our Country: Kathy Roth-Douquet, Frank Schaeffer: Amazon.com: Books

I was somewhat taken aback that Kyle was buried in the Texas State Cemetery myself. That he performed his duties while in the US military is not in doubt, but as there are several million others in Texas that can make the same claim I do not see why he was given such an honor.

If you don't live in Texas this line of thought may be hard to understand, but if you don't understand then I really don't care. Kyle's death was tragic, but the political hay that was made off of it was disgusting. Perhaps Politicians are disgusting in and of themselves and cannot help their behavior in such situations.

But the Cemetery has been used as a political pawn in the past. A large part of it is made up of Vets from the Civil War, and at one point a Texas politician made a big show of how there were Union troops buried among the CSA Vets and how this was in some way or another an insult to some Boogy-Man he was trying to construct.

Soliders from an Army base in San Antonio said if he felt that strongly about it they would do what they could to ease his pain, and they did so by removing all the Union troops to a graveyard on their base and leaving the CSA Vets behind.

Fifty years from now historians will wonder why Kyle is buried where he is. They will know instantly why Big Foot Wallace and Austin are buried there, but they will be scratching there heads over why someone who authored one book is there.

If you have thirty minutes to enrich your mind with some Texas history, I can highly recommend.....

History

My dad was a Master Sergeant in New Guinea and the Philippines in WW2 and I swear had some sort of life long PTSD. Certainly not a raving loony at all times, had many good moments, well liked by his peers but holy crap he had a dark, angry, self loathing side at times. I've heard Sergeants really have a lousy burden as they send men into battle, and some of them, of course, do not come back.

He spoke maybe 2 sentences about the war to me, and this after Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line came out.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Very interesting indeed. I think I'll get it. Thanks for the link.

- Peter.

__________________
2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

From the Wikepedia
Kyle served four tours in the second Iraq conflict and was awarded the 4th highest commendation awarded for acts of heroism, acts of merit, and/or meritorious service in a combat zone. He holds two Silver Stars, five bronze stars with valor, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and one Marine Corps Commendation.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Do you know if He ever spoke with other Veterans about the War.

It was the same with My Uncle. When I was a Kid I was told He was on Shore leave when His ship the West Virginia was bombed at Pearl Harbor.

He was entirely silent on that and what happened at Pearl Harbor and during the whole War to the extent I thought it was just a story.

On day on the internet I looked up the Crew List of the West Virginia and sure enough He is on the list.

Another of My Uncles on My Mother side of the Family till the day He died once in awhile would wake up shaking and sweating in the middle of the night reliving some part of the War.
He also seldom spoke about the War.

I don't think there is any one cure for it. Each person has a different
Psyche.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

He corresponded with some of his buddies in the 60s, this I found out in the 90s when I asked him if he ever participated in any sort of reunion. He said that around '67 when we were still living in New Mexico, one of them contacted him about a get together but he was so busy in the process of moving us to WA state he didn't have time for it. I asked if he'd like to try to get in touch with some them - he said he'd love to. He didn't know how to reach any of them and I had no luck getting any info from the army or on the web.

Apparently there was a big fire at one of the repositories of official army records or at least that's what I was told. And that many of the records had been destroyed and what I wanted was not available.

He died a few years later, in Jan. 2000.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K